


Into The Spin

by aerialbots



Series: transcendence [3]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-18
Updated: 2014-03-18
Packaged: 2018-01-16 04:46:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1332454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aerialbots/pseuds/aerialbots
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Flight-testing experimental aircraft isn't the best job for an acrophobic pilot (if there is such a thing as a good job for an acrophobic pilot). Skyfire helps Silverbolt cope.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Into The Spin

**Author's Note:**

> Little drabble dusted off from Tumblr. Based on a prompt by (and therefore to be blamed on) Nox: "Alright, three sentences. (Or a lot) Silverbolt/Skyfire. Human AU - They're both Pilots, and it's Bolt's first time at the controls." It should be noted that I know absolutely nothing about piloting a plane, and BS-ed my way through this one like whoa with a liberal sprinkling of Wikipedia research.

"You’d think they would have trained us a little longer before putting us inside real machines", Silverbolt says, shoving down the hysteria that threatens to creep into his voice as hard as he can manage, sitting in front of the jet’s console for the first timee. Judging by Skyfire’s face he doesn’t do it very well, but even through the rise of anxiety there is no fear in being watched by his friend as he tries to get his fear under control — Skyfire is the probably the one person in this army who knows him as well as his brothers, and accepts him as much as they do.

Adding space for a copilot inside the cabin was probably unnecessary, but it still made it into the final design at Silverbolt's insistence. Even if he's aware that Skyfire isn't going to keep on helping him forever, the knowledge that he could if he ever chose to is reassuring enough, and right now, with Skyfire’s eyes holding Silverbolt’s own from his place on the opposite console, Silverbolt feels incredibly grateful to Wheeljack for allowing him this much, and finds himself relaxing fractionally, breathing a little calmer already under the familiar weight of his best friend's gaze.

“I’m not going to tell you not to be afraid”, Skyfire says, not soft, just sort of quiet, private, like the first small smiles from all those months ago. “Yes, we’re going to be high, and yes, accidents happen, especially where prototypes are involved, but you’ve run the simulations and studied everything there is to know about this plane every day for the last eight months — if there’s anyone who knows how to do this, it’s you.”

Silverbolt’s heart still is hammering inside his chest, but he suspects it might be for different reasons than before. He swallows hard, says, “And you”, because it’s either deflecting Skyfire’s words or blurting out some sort of completely inappropriate — and worse, completely unrequited — love confession.

Oblivious to his inner turmoil, Skyfire smiles, dark blue eyes crinkling at the corners. “Mostly by osmosis, and because Wheeljack based your Deltas on mine. This one, though… It was built for you, Silverbolt, I know you’ll be able to handle it.”

"Her", Silverbolt corrects, the response escaping him thoughtlessly and a little unexpectedly, and he looks down to the console, brushing his thumb over the hard, smooth surface of the control column to try and mask his own surprise.

Thankfully, Skyfire doesn’t call him on it, merely asking, "Oh?”

"It’s just… They used to call Concordes shes, didn’t they?", he says. The prototype is technically called an AST Concorde-2, in honour of the supersonic transports they used in the late 20th century, but Silverbolt’s brothers all call their jets by the names of the older aircraft as well — with the exception of Fireflight, of course, who has taken to calling his Phantom ‘Sweetspark’, as well as a xie. Just thinking of his brothers makes Silverbolt’s heart ache a little, the strangeness of having their shared communication link blocked —  _‘Just this once, to help you focus’,_ Wheeljack had said — weighing on him like a phantom limb. He wonders how they're doing on their own tests, has to blink past it before the silence stretches long enough that Skyfire will notice how much it's actually upsetting him. “It feels better than just calling her an ‘it’.”

"You have a point there", Skyfire agrees, and Silverbolt can hear that hint of amusement in his voice that always makes him smile in reply. Then he asks, “Feel better now?"

Silverbolt takes a deep breath, steadying himself, breathes out slowly. Then he slides his hands fully around the control column, raising his eyes to meet Skyfire’s darker ones, and says with a nod, “Yeah. Let’s take her out for a flight."


End file.
